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Iowa's Freight Railroads
Iowa is served by 20 railroad companies, which operate 4,023 miles of
track within Iowa. Three of these railroads are major national companies
operating throughout much of the United States. These railroads operate
53 percent of Iowa’s total route miles, including much of the Iowa
grain-gathering network.
The remaining 17 smaller railroads serving Iowa consist of four regional
railroads operating in Iowa and nearby states, and 13 local railroads
operating in Iowa. These regional and local railroads serve 47 percent
of Iowa’s route miles.
*Railroads are categorized by the Surface Transportation Board (STB)
based on operating revenues. Currently, a class I railroad has
operating revenues exceeding $319.3 million, a class II railroad
(often referred to as a regional railroad) has operating revenues
greater than $25.5 million but less than $319.3 million, and a class
III railroad (often referred to as a short line railroad) has
operating revenues of less than $25.5 million or less, and all
switching and terminal companies regardless of operating revenues.
**Iowa has two railroads owned by Canadian Pacific (Cedar River
Railroad and Chicago, Central & Pacific Railroad), which would
be categorized as a Class I railroad if it was a domestically owned railroad and not
Canadian-owned.
Iowa Railroads
The
Appanoose County Community Railroad was formed in 1983 by the town
of Centerville, utilizing abandoned sections of the Burlington
Northern, Rock Island and Norfolk Southern railroads. The railroad
is a non-profit railroad with headquarters in Centerville.
The APNC operates 35 miles of rail from Centerville to Albia. The
line connects with the BNSF and the Norfolk Southern at Albia and
with the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad at Moravia. Current
employment totals seven people, all located in Iowa.
The main commodity handled by the APNC is plastic products.
The
Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad is a nonprofit operating museum
located in Boone. In 1983, BSV purchased 12 miles of track which was
scheduled for abandonment from the Chicago North Western. A
nonprofit historical society was established and began passenger
service later that year. Since 1983, BSV has operated a passenger
excursion train over the 12 miles of track from Boone to Wolf. In
February 2001, BSV obtained an additional 1.66 miles of right-of-way
from downtown Boone eastward to the Boone Industrial Park from the
Union Pacific Railroad to serve the industries located in the park.
Freight service is only provide on the 1.66 miles to the Boone
Industrial Park. Current employment totals six people, all located
in Iowa.
The main commodities handled by the BSV are lumber and primary metal
products.
 The
BNSF Railway Company began operating in Iowa on September 22, 1995, following
the merger of the Burlington Northern and Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe
railroads. BNSF is owned by its holding company Burlington Northern Santa Fe
Corporation which is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas.
The BNSF is among the largest railroads in the U.S. today with operating mileage
totaling over 32,000 miles covering 28 states and two Canadian provinces. BNSF
covers the western two-thirds of the U.S. from major Pacific Northwest and
California ports to the Midwest, Southeast and Southwest, and from Canada to
Mexico. The railroad operates 675 miles of track in Iowa which runs from
Burlington to Glenwood in southern Iowa (Amtrak also operates on this stretch under
trackage rights) and northward from Sioux City in Northwest Iowa. The BNSF also
operates several branch lines that stem off its main line, including a line from
Des Moines to Albia. The railroad employs over 38,000 people.
The main products handled by the BNSF in Iowa include coal, food products,
grain, miscellaneous mixed shipments, and chemicals and fertilizers.
The Burlington Junction Railway was
formed in 1985 to operate the former Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad
track in Burlington in southeastern Iowa. In 1996, the BJRY began switching
operations in Mount Pleasant. In 2003, BJRY leased two line segments near
Quincy, IL from the BNSF Railway and began operations. The railroad is
headquartered in Burlington.
The BJRY provides switching operations in Burlington and Mount Pleasant
connecting to the BNSF Railway. The railroad operates a total of 3.5 miles (3.0
miles in Burlington and 0.5 miles in Mount Pleasant). The BJRY employs a total
of ten people, five of which are located in Iowa.
Major commodities handled by the BJRY include chemicals and fertilizer.
The CBEC Railway was formed in 1992 by the MidAmerican Energy Company in
Council Bluffs. The CBEC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of MidAmerican. The
headquarters are located in Des Moines.
The CBEC owns six miles of track in the Council Bluffs area, which were
installed in 1997. The track is primarily used by BNSF Railway and Union Pacific
Railroad to haul coal to the utility plant located south of Council Bluffs.
Administrative services are provided by MidAmerican Energy. The Great Western
Railway performs the maintenance functions.
The main product handled by the CBEC is coal.
The
Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway Company began operations in 1904. The
railroad operated as a passenger line until 1953. The CIC is a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Alliant Energy Transportation. The headquarters are located in
Cedar Rapids.
The railroad operates 60 miles of track in eastern Iowa. The CIC’s main line
runs from Cedar Rapids to Iowa City. In 1981 the railroad expanded by purchasing
23 miles of the Milwaukee Road from Cedar Rapids to Homestead. It also purchased
the Iowa City-to-Hills line from the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad in
1982. The CIC also provides switching operations in Cedar Rapids. The railroad
interchanges traffic with the Chicago, Central and Pacific Railroad; Iowa
Northern Railway Company; and the Union Pacific Railroad in Cedar Rapids. The
railroad interchanges with the Iowa Interstate Railroad in Homestead and Iowa
City. The railroad employs 78 people, all located in Iowa.
The main products handled by the CIC include food products, coal, grain, and
paper.
The Cedar River
Railroad was established in 1991 with the acquisition of the Cedar Valley
Railroad. Cedar Valley was formed in 1984 with the purchase of track from the
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad. The CEDR is a subsidiary of the Chicago
Central & Pacific Railroad (CC). CC is part of CN as
a result of a merger with the Illinois Central Railroad.
The CEDR operates 103 miles from Waterloo to Glenville, Minnesota. About 83
miles are located in Iowa, including a branch line to Stacyville. The railroad
interchanges traffic with the CC at Waterloo as well as with the Iowa Chicago &
Eastern Railroad in Charles City and Lyle, Minnesota, and with the Dakota,
Minnesota and Eastern and the Union Pacific in Glenville, Minnesota. CEDR does
not directly employ any people; the employees are part of the CC.
The main products handled by the CEDR include grain, food products, and
chemicals.
 The
Chicago, Central and
Pacific Railroad was formed in December 1985 as a spin-off from the Illinois
Central Gulf Railroad. In June 1996 the Illinois Central Railroad repurchased
the CC. Currently, the CC is a subsidiary of the CN
system that resulted from the Canadian National and Illinois Central merger
effective on July 1, 1999.
The CC operates 732 miles of track in Iowa, Illinois and Nebraska, with 558
miles located in Iowa. The line in Iowa extends from Dubuque through Fort Dodge
to Council Bluffs. The railroad also operates a line from Fort Dodge to Sioux
City, along with several branches. The CC currently employs 228 people system
wide, with 197 are located in Iowa.
The main products handled by the railroad include coal, farm products, food
products, and chemicals/fertilizers.
The D & I Railroad was incorporated in 1981 to operate
part of the Milwaukee Road purchased by South Dakota in Northwest Iowa. The
railroad is owned by L. G.. Everist Inc., a construction company. It is
headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
The DAIR operates on 127 miles of track that is owned by South Dakota from Sioux
City to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. About 39 miles are located in Iowa. The
railroad shares trackage rights with the BNSF Railway. The DAIR connects with
the BNSF Railway; Chicago, Central and Pacific; and the Union Pacific railroads
in Sioux City. In Sioux Falls, the railroad connects with the BNSF Railway. The
railroad employs five people all located in Iowa.
The main products handled by the DAIR include stone products and grain.
The Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern
Railroad was formed in 1986, taking over lines owned by the Chicago & North
Western located in South Dakota and Minnesota. The railroad is based in Sioux
Falls, South Dakota. In 2002, DME formed the Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad
(ICE) which took over the operations of the I & M Rail Link. On October 30,
2008, the Canadian Pacific Railroad (CP) acquired the DME and ICE through its
U.S. subsidiary, the Soo Line Railroad Company. To simplify the corporate
structure of CP’s holdings in the United States, ICE has been merged into the
DME and no longer exists. The DME currently has plans to build 262 miles and
rebuild 650 miles of track, allowing the railroad access to coal located in the
Powder River Basin in Wyoming.
The combined DME operates more than 2,500 miles of track running from
Rapid City, South Dakota to Winona, Minnesota, located on the Mississippi River
and from Minneapolis to Chicago and Kansas City, paralleling the Mississippi
River through Iowa. The railroad also operates a line across northern Iowa and
one across southern Minnesota. Iowa operations consist of about 660 miles. The
railroad has access to all major railroads at gateways in Chicago, Kansas City,
and St Paul, MN. The DME currently employs nearly 1,300 people systemwide.
The main products handled by the DME in Iowa include coal, farm products,
stone, food products, chemicals, waste and scrap products, primary metal
products, and nonmetallic minerals.
The D&W Railroad was formed in 2002 by the Transco Railway
Products to acquire the rail line from Dewar to Oelwein from the Union Pacific
Railroad in lieu of abandonment. The headquarters are located in Chicago, IL.
The D&W owns 18 miles of track. The railroad has contracted with the Iowa
Northern Railway to maintain the line and provide service to shippers.
The main products handled on the line include grain and rail cars to be repaired
or rebuilt.
 The Iowa, Chicago, and
Eastern Railroad purchased the assets of the former I & M Rail Link, LLC
(IMRL) and began operation on July 31, 2002. ICE is a railroad formed by the
Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad (DME). Both ICE and DME are under the
common management of Cedar American Rail Holdings, Inc. ICE is headquartered in
Sioux Falls, SD.
ICE operates 1,393 miles of track from Minneapolis to Chicago and Kansas City,
paralleling the Mississippi River through Iowa. The railroad also operates a
line across northern Iowa and one across southern Minnesota. Iowa operations
consist of 660 miles. The railroad has access to all major railroads at gateways
in Chicago, Kansas City, and St Paul, MN. Current employment totals 506 system
wide, with 256 located in Iowa.
The main products handled by the ICE include coal, farm products, food products,
chemicals, transportation equipment, miscellaneous mixed shipments, and
hazardous materials.
 The
Iowa Interstate Railroad was founded in
1984 to operate the former Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad line between
Chicago and Omaha. IAIS is a subsidiary of Railroad Development Corporation
(RDC) that acquired both the railroad and the property from Heartland Rail
Corporation in December 2003. RDC is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, and
operates several overseas railroads. IAIS is headquartered in Cedar Rapids.
The railroad operates 580 miles of track from Chicago to Omaha through the Quad
Cities, Iowa City and Des Moines, as well as several branch lines. Intermodal
service is provided at Chicago, Council Bluffs, Newton and West Liberty. The
IAIS operations in Iowa include 362 miles. Employees of the railroad total 196,
with 129 located in Iowa.
The main products handled by the IAIS in Iowa include farm products, food
products, waste and scrap products, lumber, and nonmetallic minerals.
The Iowa Northern Railway was incorporated in 1984 and is
one of the first short-line railroads in the state. The IANR was formed from the
bankrupt Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad. The railroad was originally owned by a group of grain elevators
located along the line. The line was sold in 1994 to the current owners and is
headquartered in Cedar Rapids, IA.
The IANR operates 169 miles in Iowa between Cedar Rapids and Manly in north
central Iowa along with the line (18.8 miles) between Dewar and Oelwein under an
operating agreement with the D&W Railroad. The railroad connects with the Cedar
Rapids and Iowa City Railroad in Cedar Rapids; with the Chicago, Central and
Pacific Railroad in Cedar Rapids and Waterloo; with the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern
Railroad in Nora Springs and Plymouth Jct.; with the Union Pacific in Cedar
Rapids and Manly; and with the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad in Manly.
The railroad employs 45 people, all located in Iowa.
The main products handled by the IANR include grain, coal,
chemicals/fertilizers, food products, and machinery.
The General Railway Corporation dba Iowa Northwestern Railroad (IANW) was
formed in April of 2001 with the purchase of the rail line from Superior to Allendorf, Iowa. This 37.3 mile railroad was created when the Dickinson-Osceola
Rail Association (DORA) purchased the trackage from the Union Pacific Railroad.
The IANW was the operator of the railroad, provided freight service to the
Ocheyedon elevator, and operated a tourist train operation through the Lakes
area. In 2006, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) provided authority to IANW
to discontinue service
from Allendorf to Lake Park (17.05 miles.) At the current time, IANW is the
operator of record but no service is being provided by the railroad.
The Iowa River Railroad was formed in 2006 when the
railroad purchased the Union Pacific line from Marshalltown to Steamboat Rock.
The railroad also acquired the rail-banked (dormant) portion of track from
Steamboat Rock to Ackley from the North Central Railway Association (shippers on
the formerly operational line.) The railroad is principally owned by the
shippers on the line.
The Iowa River Railroad connects with the Union Pacific
Railroad in Marshalltown. When the rail-banked portion of track is
rehabilitated and put back into service, the Iowa River Railroad will also
connect with the Chicago, Central & Pacific Railroad (owned by CN) at Ackley.
The main products that will be handled by the IARR include
grain, chemicals/fertilizers, ethanol, and ethanol's byproducts.
The Iowa Traction Railroad was incorporated in 1986 and is
privately owned. The IATR is the last freight-hauling 600-volt DC-electric
railroad in the country. The line was previously known as the Iowa Terminal
Railroad. The headquarters are located in Mason City.
The IATR operates 13 miles between Clear Lake and Mason City in northern Iowa.
The railroad connects with the Dakota, Minnesota& Eastern Railroad and the Union
Pacific Railroad in Mason City. The IATR employs four people, all located in
Iowa.
The main products handled by the IATR include food products, waste and scrap
materials, and petroleum products.
The
Keokuk Junction Railway was incorporated in May 1980
to purchase 4.5 miles of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad yard track
in Keokuk. In December 1986 the railroad expanded its operations by purchasing
the line between Keokuk and La Harpe, Illinois, from the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe Railway. In March 1996, Pioneer Railcorp purchased the KJRY. Pioneer
Railcorp is a short-line railroad holding company operating 16 railroads in 10
states totaling more than 535 miles. The headquarters for Pioneer Railcorp are
located in Peoria, Illinois. The KJRY has a main office in Keokuk.
The railroad operates a total of 51 miles, with one mile located in Iowa. The
KJRY serves as a switching carrier in Keokuk, interchanging with the BNSF
Railway. The KJRY employs a total of 28 people of which 20 are located in Iowa.
The main products handled by the KJRY include grain, transportation equipment,
and food products.
The
Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NS) was formed June 1, 1982, with the merging
of the Norfolk and Western Railway and the Southern Railway. In June 1997, the
NS and CSX Railroad filed a joint application to purchase the Conrail property. The NS
began operating about 7,200 miles of the former Conrail property June 1, 1999.
The NS is owned by Norfolk Southern Corporation which is based in Norfolk,
Virginia.
The railroad operates about 21,200 miles of track in 23 states in the Southeast
and Midwest, as well as in Ontario, Canada. NS serves all major eastern ports.
The NS operates 44 miles of track in Iowa running from Des Moines to Burlington,
most of which are trackage rights on the BNSF Railway Company. The railroad
employs over 30,000 people system wide.
The main products handled by the NS in Iowa include grain and food products.
 The
Union Pacific Railroad Company was chartered in
1862 through an act of Congress. The railroad is comprised of the original Union
Pacific, Missouri Pacific, Chicago and North Western, and Southern Pacific
railroads. The UP is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Union Pacific Corporation
which is based in Omaha, NE.
The UP is the largest railroad in the U.S., operating 32,426 miles in 24 states
in the western two-thirds of the United States. The UP operation link major West
coast and Gulf ports with major gateways to the east including Chicago, St.
Louis, Memphis, and New Orleans and is a primary connection between the United
States and Mexico. The railroad operates 1,480 miles in Iowa including a main
line from Clinton to Council Bluffs and another north-south route through
central Iowa, along with many branch lines. The railroad employs 51,326 people
system wide, with 1,850 located in Iowa.
The main products handled by the UP in Iowa include grain and grain products,
food and food products, coal, chemicals/fertilizers, and miscellaneous mixed
shipments.
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